10 things about his mother
by Twilight Solstice
Summary: Summary: As she leaves her child behind, she thinks that perhaps she gave more than enough.


**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Misashi Kishimoto

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Not exactly canon. Kind of a drabble. Kushina-centric.

**10 things about his mother**

**Summary**: As she leaves her child behind, she thinks that perhaps she gave more than enough.

* * *

**10**. When she is escorted away from her family, she forces herself to not look back because she knows that if she does, she'll forsake her whole village just to be able to spend the rest of her life in the arms of her mother.

She consoles herself with the thought that _this isn't goodbye foreve_r. She'll be able to visit.

Her regret will burn inside her forever when her home village is obliterated not a fortnight later.

* * *

**9.** Konoha is kind to her. Wary, but kind.

Her kinswoman, Uzumaki Mito, is an old woman who smiles kindly whenever Kushina looks at her.

Mito wears pretty jewelry, beautiful kimonos, and a look of defeated resignation and sorrowful regret when she thinks Kushina isn't looking.

Despite her suspicions, Kushina grows to love Mito like a second mother in the few weeks they spend together.

So she tries not to feel bitter betrayal when she's finally told of Kyuubi and the part she will play in the coming weeks.

She likes to think she didn't fail.

* * *

**8**. The sealing itself is painful and as she lies on the ground, agonizing over every breath she takes, she wonders if there's enough love inside her to protect the village from what's been jailed inside her very soul.

Only Mito could possibly answer that.

But Mito is lying lifelessly on the ground opposite of her.

Kyuubi laughs.

* * *

**7**. The boys in her class are cruel to her so Kushina feels absolutely no guilt when she beats the living crap out of them.

Except maybe a little for the small blond boy whose only crime was sparing her a nervous glance.

Years later, when they're married, Minato's nervous shuffle will inspire Kushina to laugh at the fond memories before proceeding to treat her husband with some _tough_ love just like a good wife ought to.

* * *

**6**. Uchiha Fugaku is part of her genin team.

He's also in love with her.

He's never told her of course. He treats her just a few degrees warmer than anyone else though and Kushina just _knows._

She decides to cause a riot by marching into the Uchiha Compound and telling Fugaku's father, the current Head of the Prestigious Uchiha Clan, that she has accepted Fugaku's marriage proposal (she withholds her cackle when she notices her teammate blanch and then redden before trying to set her on fire with his eyes, "I never- oof!" Kushina jabs his side before he can interrupt her prank) and will promptly allow all ten of their children to be named after him if he acquiesces to letting her name at least one of them Sasuke, because she's always wanted a son with that name after she heard some man say it while trying to entice his cat back inside while she was meandering through the village—

Fugaku lets her live.

Only because no one else but the three of them were around and probably because his father did nothing but twitch his lips slightly upward.

His mercy does nothing but prove her right and she promptly forgets about the whole deal.

She becomes the Hokage's wife and he becomes Head of his clan and husband to Minato's own genin teammate, a girl the Yellow Flash basically forced upon him almost desperately and comically.

So when Uchiha Mikoto introduces her youngest baby to Kushina, her surprise and wonder are genuine and so is her confusion when she walks away thinking about cats.

* * *

**5**. Her life isn't as lonely as the thought it'd be but Kushina more often than not finds herself contemplating the Kyuubi's suggestions and even finds her own kunai at her throat once or twice.

She finds comfort in the fact she can let the Kyuubi out whenever—_if ever_—she damned well pleased.

* * *

**4**. Kushina tolerates Kakashi, tries to pretend the same with Obito, and adores Rin.

(Somehow they all sneak into her heart but she tries to hide it when she sees Minato give that annoying paternal smirk).

She ends up wishing she'd been more forthcoming with her affections when two of them end up dead and one ends up irreparably broken.

She vows to always be there and always show her love to the unborn baby she conceives years later.

* * *

**3**. _Fishcake._

She kind of really….doesn't like that name.

But she absolutely loves the smile on Minato's face when he lovingly whispers the name of their son to her extremely swollen belly.

Minato's beautiful smile aside however, she lets her inner "Red Habanero" out and forces a promise of being able to name all the future children from here on out.

Because Kushina has decided that _Naruto_ will have at least one sister.

And her name will be Mito.

* * *

**2**. She hears rumors of the Yellow Flash's prowess in battle.

And that the man capable of defeating a whole battalion by himself is afraid of nothing.

Kushina snorts.

If only Kumo could see his face when she catches the idiot trying to sneak some of her 'pregnancy' ramen.

She idly contemplates dubbing herself 'Nothing' as her husband uses his deadly Flying Thunder God technique to transport himself all the way across the village.

At least he always leaves the ramen behind.

* * *

**1.** As she watches blood pour from the gaping hole in her chest Kushina regrets being unable to pay back the village for accepting her, loving her, and _becoming her home_.

She regrets not being able to pay back Minato—_selfless, kind, strong and beautiful Minato_—for the love he so effortlessly filled her with.

_Why couldn't I have given at least one thing back—!?_

Her gaze snaps to Minato who is eyeing their newborn son—_Kyuubi's new vessel_—with love, adoration, a fierce protectiveness, faith, hope, and for a spilt second she can see a _grown up version of Naruto, standing strong_ reflected in Minato's eyes—

Her regrets mimic the remaining blood in her body and flow out of her.

_Our son._

He'll be alone.

_Bese lflessk indstron gandbeaut iful—_

He'll have to protect the village in Minato's stead.

_Ilo vedthis villageand Iloveyou rfather—_

Naruto was Minato's and Kushina's. But Minato would leave and Kushina would leave and Naruto would _stay_.

_IloveYou—_

As she leaves her child behind, she thinks that perhaps she gave more than enough.


End file.
